Electric railway



(No Model.)

B. M. HUNTER.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

No. 433,407. Patented July 29, 1890.

NH-messes:

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE THOMSON-HOUSTON ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CONNECTICUT.

RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,407, dated July 29, 1890.

Original application filed September 23,1886, Serial No. 214,309. Divided and application filed September 11, 1889, Serial No.

323 597. Again divided and this application filed May '7, 1890. Serial No. 350,874- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to electric railways; and it consists of certain improvements, all of which are fully set forth in the following specification, and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

This application (Case No. 140) isa division of my application (Case No. 107) filed September 11, 1889, serially numbered 323,597, which in turn was a division of my application filed September 23, 1886, and serially numbered 214,309.

The object of my invention is to supply current to electrically-propelled vehicles from one or more suspended conductors extending along a railwayybe they elevated above the vehicle, on a level with the roof of the vehicle, or under the vehicle.

In carrying out my invention I provideone or more suspended conductors extending along the railway, each having their under side unobstructed for the free passage of a current-collecting device, and upon the electrically-propelled vehicle I mount a currentcollecting device making an under contact with the conductors and having provision for lateral movement at its free end, or that which is adjacent to the conductor or conductors. The contact portion for making direct connection with the conductor is preferablya deeply-grooved wheel, which receives the conductor within its groove, and thereby insures the conductor remaining in contact with the said wheel. Any form of contact device may be used. The conductor guides the collector, and vice versa, so as to keep both in working connection. The collector may be carried upon the axles independent of the car-body, if so desired.

The foregoing are the essential features of my invention; but various details of my invention are set out hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View illustrating my invention with the suspended conductors arranged above-the vehicle. Fig. 2 is a cross-secti0nal view illustrating the location of the conductors on a level with the roof of the vehicle. Fig. 3 is a crosssection showing the wheels and axle, collector device, and conductors, the latter being arranged underthe vehicle. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic side elevation corresponding to Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a cross-section showing the support of the conductor from above, and also illustrating the under contact-roller.

A are the rails.

15 B are the two parallel suspended lineconductors, which may supply positive and negativ-ecurrent. These conductors extend along the railway, and may be formed of wires, rods, bars, or cables,and are supported in any suitable manner, so as to expose a smooth or practically smooth and unobstructed under surface. They are preferably flexible. As shown in Fig. 5, these conductors are held from above by arms extending from the posts C. The particular method of support is immaterial to my invention, beyond the fact that it must permit a continuous, or substantially continuous, contact by the collector with the under surface of the conductor.

D is the generator for supplying current to the conductors B. If desired, one suspended conductor B may be employed as the supplyconductor, and the return-conductor may be the rails, as indicated in Fig. 1 by the dotted connection between the generator and the rail.

E is the vehicle or car, and is supported upon axles N by springs in the usual manner. It is supplied with an electric motor F, geared in any suitable way to the axles to enable its propulsion.

H H are the grooved contact-wheels for making a runni-ngunder contact with the 0011- duetors B. These wheels are deeply grooved, so as to receive the conductors and enable the one to be guided by the other, and thereby insure intimate and constant contact. These contact wheels are insulated from each other and supported by a frame or arm I, carried by the vehicle and capable of lateral movement relatively to the said vehicle, so as to compensate for the varying locations of the conductors. This arm or frame I is vertically "adjustable in a frame or primary part J and held by a setscrewK, so as to move the contact-wheels vertically with respect to the conductors. The frame J is secured to a transverse cross-bar or slide L, which is guided in the bearings or journals M, carried by the vehicle, and, if desired, upon the axles N. By this construction the collector as a whole may move laterally to compensate for any variations of the conductors. The arm or frame I is provided with insulated conductors h, leading from the motor-circuit P to the contactwheels I-I.

I do not limit myself to the mere details herein set out, as they may be varied in many ways without departing from my invention.

The under contact-collector has many advantages in practice over the upper contactcollector, since it simplifies the construction of the road equipment and cheapens the cost of construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ist 1. The combination of a railway, a suspend ed conductor extending along said railway,

and a secondary part adjustably supported by the primary part and carrying an under contact grooved wheel at its free end and makinga moving contact with the underside of the conductor and supporting the conductor in its groove.

3. The combination of a railway, two parallel suspended conductors extending along the same for supplying currents of different polarity, an electrically-propelled vehicle, and a current-collecting device carried thereby, consisting of an arm or frame extending from the vehicle toward the conductors and supporting at its free end two under contacts making a moving contact with the respective conductors.

4. The combination of a railway, two parallel suspended conductors extending along the same for supplying currents of dilferent polarity, an electrically propelled vehicle, and a current-collecting device carried thereby, consisting of an arm or frame extending from the vehicle toward the conductors and supporting at its free end two under contacts formed of grooved wheels insulated from each other and making a moving contact with the respective conductors.

5. The combination of a railway, two parallel suspended conductors extending along the same for supplying currents of diiferent polarity, an electrically-propelled vehicle, and

a current-collecting device carried thereby,.

consisting of an arm or frame supported by the vehicle, with provision for lateral movement of its free end and carrying on said free end two insulated contacts making under contact with the respective conductors.

6. The combination of a railway, two parallel suspended conductors extending along the same for supplying currents of different polarity, an electrically-propelled vehicle, and a current-collecting device carried thereby, consisting of an arm or frame extending from the vehicle and with its free end directed toward the space between the two parallel con- .ductors and carrying two insulated under contact grooved wheels for making electrical connection with the under'sides of the respective conductors.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

R. M. HUNTER; 

